2015 – Best of the Year, Month by Month: July/August part 1

2015 has been a great year for music. So many good albums, songs and new bands. Here are the things I loved from JULY and AUGUST‘s releases, – the first part of two posts from these months. I kind of lost track of the release dates during the summer, so I have chosen to put the summer-months together.
The ones I loved the most are marked with a red ||.

Aero Flynn – Aero Flynn || An album I have listened a lot to this year. Warm and wonderful music with a folky flavour.The Airplanes – West coast state of mind || Perfect summery indiepop, lovely melodies, jangly guitars and that happy POP feeling.Beach Moon/Peach Moon – Kite without a string || This is an album I LOVE, deeply. So beautiful, and so well made in all its lo-finess.Bully – Feels Like || Rough and raw. I like it.Bunnygrunt – Vol 4 || This came as a surprise, but a nice one. Very strong album on Happy Happy Birthday to Me records.C. Duncan – Architect || One of my big favourites this year. Stunningly beautiful album. So good!Cheerleader – The sunshine of your youth || Dreamy, sunshiny pop.Cloud – Zen Summer || Very interesting psych-pop band and album on one of my new favourite labels, Paper Trail Records.Day Ravies – Liminal Zones || Oh, this is good! This is SO good! Shoegazy, dreampop’y indiepop with stereolabish kraut-beats.EZTV – Calling Out || Very nice album on Captured tracks. They sometimes remind me of Teenage Fanclub, – sometimes.The Fireworks – Switch me on || Rough and jangly indiepop on Shelflife. I like the quiet songs best, however, and “in the morning” is one of the finest songs of the year.Grimm Grimm – Hazy Eyes Maybe || Another favourite among my favourites. It’s a weird and wonderful album from this Japanese one man band, and it may demand a little attention from the listener, but is well worth it.Wolf Alice – My Love is Cool || This was very much played during the summer months in my home. I like it a lot.Yowler – The offer || This is a beauty, a dark beauty. Reminds me of Stina Nordenstam. Very emotional and beautiful album. Highly recommended.Yucatan – Uwch Gopa’r Mynydd || I have a weak spot for well made Welsh music. This is one of my absolute favourite albums this year (yes, another absolute favourite one….). Amazingly beautiful melodies and great atmosphere.Zomes – Unison || This is ALMOST too dark and weird and psychedelic for me, but there are some really wonderful moments on the album that makes me love this one. Swedish band, I think.gobbinjr – manalang || Very nice lo fi bedroom pop album. Consistency is not its strongest point, but there are plenty of great songs on it.The Tamborines – Sea of Murmur|| Wow, this is good, – and kind of a surprise too. I thought the band were no more, and here they return stronger than ever with such a lovely album. Shoegaze/indiepop/dreampop. (https://thetamborines.bandcamp.com/album/sea-of-murmur)

SINGLES I LOVED THIS MONTH

The Swapsies – Piglet and Pooh / The Trouble With Lee || Liverpool’s The Swapsies never disappoint, and this single is brilliant. The lyrics are always a joy to listen to, and the melodies go straight from the ears to the heart. https://theswapsies.bandcamp.comAlice Glass – Stillbirth || Not usually “my kind of music”, but I love this one and the raw aggression she manages to get out of the synths and the beauty she adds to it.Bic Runga – I dreamed a dream || Lovely folky pop. Classic songwriting.The Color Waves – Chirology || Two beautiful songs by two wonderful singers, musicians and songwriters. Everything is done right on this single, out on Cloudberry Records. Among my favourite favourite releases this year. Can’t wait for an album from these two. Two songs is NOT enough!Drinks – Laying down rock || Weird psychedelic POP. Incredibly catchy despite its weirdness and playfulness.Featherfin ft Alison Eales – If you were coming in the fall (Daylight version) || My own music. Not best of the year, but it means a lot to me, and that’s why I include it on this list + for you to get a chance to hear it!Funeral Advantage – Garden song || Very nice indiepop single.Gulp ft Miaoux Miaoux – Tour de France || Brilliant cover of this Kraftwerk classic.Younghusband – Better times || One of many great releases from them this year. Very pleasing for the ears.The Golden Eaves – No Other/Treptow || Brilliant melodic indiepop from members of The Fairways/Clay Hips and The Pines (https://thegoldeneaves.bandcamp.com). These two have strong songwriting skills!

EPs I LOVED THIS MONTH

The Death of Pop

The Death of Pop – Bubblebath || Warm, jangly dreampop.Franklin’s Kite – Hurdles and rewards || Beautiful songs from Marc Elston, who delivered a couple of good releases this year.Cattle – Somehow Hear Songs EP ||the debut release from a young, new shoegaze/dreampop band from Tokyo, out on Jigsaw. Really nice songs throughout the whole 6 track EP.Painted Zeros – S V A L B A R D || They call their music Flowercore and Dreampunk, but I will just say that this is a very, very beautiful EP of great songs. (https://paintedzeros.bandcamp.com/album/s-v-a-l-b-a-r-d-2)